The Curse of Fire Lord Iroh's Tomb
by Jet556
Summary: How did the idea of a mummy's curse start? Who was Fire Lord Iroh's first "victim"? Was there really a curse? Read this story of the mystery behind Fire Lord Iroh's curse to find answers to these questions and more!
1. The Mummy's Curse is Born

More than 5,000 years ago, a rich powerful kingdom developed in the Fire Nation. Today, people call the Fire Lords of the Fire Nation phoenix kings. At first, ancient people built huge pyramids in which they buried their fire lords. Later, they buried their fire lords in underground tombs. Ancient people believed their fire lord's spirits lived on after death. The tombs protected the fire lords' spirits and held everything they would need in the spirit world.

They mummified the dead so their spirits could return to their bodies. Some of the fire lord's organs were removed and placed in jars that were left in the tomb. Fire Sages cast spells over the dead fire lord's body. They placed precious stones or pieces of metal in the strips of cloth wound around the body. Writings on the wall warned grave robbers not to disturb the tomb.

Thousands of years later, foreigners discovered the ancient tombs of the Fire Nation. The brought mummies and artifacts back with them.

The idea of a mummy's curse spread. Writers created stories about people who died horrible deaths after disturbing mummies. These stories did not stop archaeologists from exploring the tombs. One of the scientists was the Southern Air Temple's Aang. He worked in the Valley of the Fire Lords for Lord Sokka. Lord Sokka was deeply interested in Fire Nation artifacts.

In the Valley of the Fire Lords, the fire lords' tombs were deep underground. Many people believed the major tombs there had been found. Aang disagreed. He wanted to find the tomb of Fire Lord Iroh. Iroh ruled the Fire Nation more than 3,000 years ago.

"Something will turn up. I think Iroh's tomb is nearby." stated Aang.

Thirteen years later, they found something.

"It looks like the entrance to a tomb." commented Aang.

Sokka received a telegram.

At last have wonderful discovery in the valley. A magnificent tomb with seals intact.

Sokka's response to his butler:

"Pack my bags. I'm leaving for the Fire Nation.


	2. An Amazing Discovery

Three weeks later, Aang and his men had cleared out the passageway to a sealed doorway. Beyond this door, another sealed doorway stood outside Fire Lord Iroh's tomb. Lord Sokka waited anxiously for the plaster to be removed

"The doorway has been opened and sealed before. Grave robbers must have found it centuries ago." believed Aang.

"There may be nothing left inside." said Sokka.

When the door was opened slightly, Aang entered with a candle.

"Can you see anything, Aang?"

"Yes, wonderful things."

"What do you see?"

"Strange animals, statues and gold, everywhere the glint of gold."

Aang and his crew began exploring the tomb and its treasures. They numbered each item they found. It would take Aang years to examine everything in the tomb's many rooms.

And at the far end of one of the rooms, statues of Iroh himself! They were like guards protecting his tomb.

One year later, the workers broke through another sealed doorway in the tomb. This door led them into the burial chamber.

"Look at this beautiful work, Aang. There must be incredible treasures inside."

"Yes, and the mummy of Fire Lord Iroh. We are treading where no one has entered since the boy fire lord was laid to rest nearly 3,300 years ago."

The world followed daily newspaper stories of the excavation of Iroh's tomb. Aang and Sokka became famous.

Around this time, a mosquito bit Lord Sokka's face. Soon after, while he was shaving, he cut himself where he was bitten. The cut on Lord Sokka's mosquito bite led to blood poisoning. He recovered, but he soon became sick again.

"I'm afraid you have pneumonia. You need rest." stated Aang.


	3. The Curse at Work

Kanna, a famous author, heard about Sokka's poor health. It reminded her of something she read in an old book about the ancient Fire Nation.

"Death shall come on swift wings to him who touches the tomb of the phoenix king."

Kanna wrote letters to newspapers explaining what she had read. The newspapers published stories about a curse on Fire Lord Iroh's tomb.

Meanwhile, back in the Fire Nation, Lord Sokka had died. Then suddenly, the candles went out.

At the same time, at Lord Sokka's home in the Southern Water Tribe, his pet hawk, Hawky had started screeching… then suddenly fell dead. News of Lord Sokka's death quickly spread. A reporter asked Sir Zuko about it. Zuko was the famous author of the Zhao mysteries. He was also interested in magic and curses.

"I believe it is true. Lord Sokka could have been Iroh's first victim. Who knows who will be next?"

Soon, people around the world were talking about the mummy's curse. The idea of a curse frightened people who owned Fire Nation artifacts. Over the next few years, other people somehow connected to Sokka, Aang, or Fire Lord Iroh's tomb died.

Archaeologist Gyatso had been one of the first people to enter the tomb. He hung himself after writing a suicide note in his own blood.

"I have succumbed to a curse which forces me to disappear."

Millionaire Oyajji died of pneumonia the day after he visited the tomb. Fire Nation-ologist Bumidied after falling down the stairs of the tomb. The strange deaths continued. More people connected to Iroh's tomb were said to have early deaths.

Despite talk of a curse, Aang and his crew continued their difficult work in the tomb. Aang's long-time friend Haru helped him every step of the way.

Then, after opening three golden coffins stacked inside each other, the mummy of Fire Lord Iroh was revealed. Upon unwrapping the mummy, a wound was found on Iroh's left cheek.

"The wound on Iroh's cheek is in the same spot as Sokka's mosquito bite!" observed Haru.

Some people took this discovery as more evidence of a curse.


	4. Curse or Myth?

Aang and Haru both lived for more than a decade after opening Iroh's coffin.

"You've made history Aang. No one has ever found anything like Iroh's tomb. And you even escaped that silly curse." commented Haru.

"I told you the talk of a curse was rubbish. We knew that tomb better than anyone. If there had been a written curse, we'd have seen it." stated Aang.

Even though the curse hadn't affected Aang or Haru, some people still believed it was real. Tyro, an expert on the ancient Fire Nation, set out to prove the believers wrong.

"The numbers don't lie, gentlemen. The people who died were mostly older people, or people already in poor health. Thy only curse at work is the curse that all people eventually died. Life killed these poor souls, not a mummy's curse." stated Tyro.

Reports of strange events related to Iroh's tomb stopped. But every so often, a new story was added to the curse's legend. Shyu, the Fire Nation's director of antiquities, dreamed he would face great danger if Iroh's artifacts left the Fire Nation.

The tomb's artifacts were to be flown to Ba Sing Se, for a museum exhibit. Shyu met with authorities about canceling the exhibit. He begged to keep the artifacts in the Fire Nation.

"Don't you see? If the artifacts leave the Fire Nation, it may mean in my death!" said Shyu.

They did believe him. Upon leaving the meeting, Shyu was trampled and killed by a raging Komodo Rhino that had gotten loose from its cart.

Alomost 100 years after Iroh's discovery, people were still fascinated and frightened by the idea of a mummy's curse. Plays and books about mummies still scare audiences even today. The legend of Iroh's curse lives on.


End file.
